Bed construction



June 29, 1965 J. scHLAcKMAN ETAI. 3,191,195

BED CONSTRUCTIN- Original Filed June 5. 1959 ma. f

JNVENTOR. Jose CZacK/naf? t Ro/nd fl. Benen- United States Patent O 3,191,195 BED CONSTRUCTION Joseph Schlackman, Forest Hills, N.Y., and Roland A.

Benoit, Dayville, Conn., assignors to Royalmetal Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Ser. No. 818,426, June 5,

1959. This application Mar. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 181,835 1 Claim. (Cl. 5-63) floor, which is characterized by a simple construction involving relatively few parts and especially moving members which are required to exert or transmit mechanical forces.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved power-operated hospital-type bed in accordance with the foregoing, which is sturdy in its construction and reliable in its functioning and operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved hospital-type bed, wherein there are simple and effective power-operated means for raising and lowering the head portion of the bed frame.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved hospital-type bed wherein there are provided extre'melyk simple power-operated means for raising and lowering the knee portion of the bed frame.

A feature of the invention is the provision of an irnproved power-operated hospital-type bed in accordance with the foregoing, wherein the power means and associated mechanism are not likely to get out of order or to fail during the normal operation of the bed.

Another feature of the invention is the provision in conjunction with a hospital-type bed, of a novel power means having a relatively small and compact, central power unit which may be located in any convenient desired location knormally unoccupied by the bedding, or by associated equipment.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of an improved power-operated hospital-type bed as above set forth, wherein the power means may be easily removed and serviced when this becomes necessary.

Still another feature of the invention is in the provision f of an improved power actuating mechanism for a hospitaltype bed, which requires but relatively little space, and which does not normally interfere with the bedding.

Another and further feature of the invention resides in the provision of an improved power-operated hospital-type bed as above set forth, which is economical to fabricate and produce.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In thedrawings accompanying this specification, similar characters of reference have been used to designate like components throughout the several views, in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a power-operated hospital-type bed as provided by the invention.

VFiG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bed shown in FIG. 1, alternate positions of the head and knee portions of the bed being shown in broken outlines.

3,l9l,l95 Patented June 29, 1965 ICC FlG. 3 is a vertical section, taken on the line 3 3 of FlG. 1.

Considering rst FIGS. l and 2, there is shown one type of bed comprising a rigid bed frame 10 having a headboard lll, a footboard 12, and plural part side rails 14 and i5. The side rails i4 and 15 may be constituted of lower rail members 17, upper rail members 18, and vertical braces or ttings 2i) disposed intermediate the ends of the rail members.

The bed frame 10 may further comprise a U-shaped head portion 22 having a cross bar or yoke 23 joined to side members Z4 and 25, the latter members being hingedly secured to the upright ttings 2t) by suitable pivot or hinge means. The head portion 22 of the bed frame is thus mounted so that it may be raised and lowered, the raised position being shown by the broken outlines in FIG. 2.

Also, the bed frame itl may have what is termed herein a knee portion 27 which may be raised or lowered, the raised position of the same being indicated by the broken outlines in FlG. 2. The knee portion of the bed frame is shown as comprising a U-shaped member 29 having a cross bar 3i) and integral side bars 31 and 32, the side bars being hingedly connected to other side members 34 and 35 respectively which are in turn hingedly secured to the upright braces or fittings 20.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel power actuating means is provided by which the entire bed frame 10 may be raised and lowered as a unit with respect to the floor surface, and also whereby the head and knee portions of the bed frame may be readily raised and lowered by means of power, all of the said adjustments being securely held or retained in the desired settings when the power is switched oif.

Considering first the raising and lowering of the entire bed frame 1i), there is provided by the invention a pair of elongate support means 37 and 38 arranged for engagement with the floor, as by the provision of suitable casters 39 or the equivalent (including gliders, glider domes and the like). lt will be readily seen from FIG. l that the floor-engaging portions or casters 39 of the support means are widely spaced, thereby providing for adequate stability in the support of the bed frame 10.

Intermediate the ends of the support means 37 and 38 there are provided extensible connector stanchions or posts 41 and 42, said stanchions extending between and connecting the support means 37, 38 respectively with the head and foot portions of the bed frame so as to mount the latter on the support means in a position raised from the floor. As clearly seen in FIG. 1, the support means 37, 3S and the extensible stanchions 41, 42 comprise pedestals, which are adjustable for heights.

The stanchions 41 and 42 are shown as being much wider than they are deep, and as constituting telescoping portions or members, the inner members being indicated at 45, whereas the outer members are shown at 46. The

widths of the stanchions are thus seen to extend along the lengths of the support means 37, 38, and the latter may be thought of as comprising pairs of relatively long, oppositely extending arms projecting laterally from the inner telescoping members 45 of the stanchions.

As seen in FlG, 3, the inner telescoping members 45 may have an appreciable length and a large bearing Isurface for engagement with cooperable bearing or guiding surfaces on the outer telescoping members 46. By such port of the bed frameon the supportmeans 37,V 33, which support is generally devoid of any looseness or tendency to sway. It will be understood that the arms constituting the support means 37, 38 may be fabricated of stout bar or tubular stock which is relativelyinexible and unyielding, the said arms being rigidly secured to the inner telescoping members 45, and the arms of each support being` preferably constituted as a singleintegral piece. Y

In accordance with the invention, as shown in FGS. 1-3, hydraulic pistons and'cylinders 50 and 51 are associated with the support means 37 yand 38 respectively, and also with the head and foot portions Yof the bed frame, thereby to provide a simple, eective and reliable Huid-operated motive device for raising and Vlowering the bed frame 10. The lower ends of the cylinders 52 of the said motive means may be rigidly secured to brackets 54 carried by the inner telescoping members -45 of the stanchions 41 and 42, and the pistons 56 (FIGURE 3') maybe secured to piston rods 57 in turn Ifastened to brackets 58 which are secured to the outer telescoping members 46 of the stanchions.

The cylinders 52 may be `fed'with driving fluid through i suitable hydraulic lines 60, as shown in FIG. 1, the said s 4 the bed frame mayfslowly drop down to the original' fullline position shown in VFIG..2. Such energization of the piston and cylinder units` 69, locking of the hydraulic Yfluid,vand bleeding of the iluid may be effected by actuation of. the proper'push-button controlsk located in the master control unit 65. s

Further, in accordance with the invention, the knee portion 27 of the bed frame is operated by a hydraulic piston and cylinder unit 73,'the piston of which has a lrod 74 pivotally connected to the side rail'member 35 of the knee portion. YWhile in FIG. 1 a single cylinder-andpiston-unit 73 is shown, it will be understood that such unit may be duplicated on the near side of the bed frame 10, being connected with the side rail member 34 of the Vknee portion.V It will now be seen that energization of the piston and cylinder unit 73 will causeY a raising of the knee portionV 27, and 4Vthat locking of the vfluid in the supply line to the unit73 will lock the knee portion in any adjusted position. The bleeding of the hydraulic liuid vfrom the cylinder 73 will permit the knee portion 27 '.to be gradually lowered, as with the head portion 22 of lines leading to a central, electrically powered fluid presn sure producing unit 62 which may comprise an electrically driven `hydraulic pump, together with a plurality of electrically controlled valves and also any necessary uid supply tanks, sump chambers and the like.

Leading from the central hydraulic unit 62 ythere isa master electric control cable 64,Y to which is connected an vided by the use of an electric cord 66, as shown'in FIG. 1.1

By the above organization, either the head portion of the bed framei10, or else the foot portion of the bed frame,

the bed frame. Y

The control of the raising, locking and lowering of the knee portion 27 of the bed frame is also effected by actuating suitable push-buttons in the master control unit 65. s

It will be noted that the yoke'rnember'23 of the head portion 22 of the bed frame may beV made very rigid and Vstiff, lwhere-by it will ,have an equalizing effect on the liuid motive means comprising the cylinders 69 when two Vsuch cylinders are employed iny raising and lowering the head portion (one cylinder being located at each side of the bed frame). ThisV sameis true of the knee portion 27 Yof the bed frame, as regards the connecting yoke member 30, Where two `of the cylinders 73 are employed, one at each side ofthe bed trame, the con- Y necting yoke, member 30 Will tend to equalize and mainor else both may be readily raised vand lowered 'at will,

by merelyy energizing the hydraulic motive unit-s 50, 51

from the central power unitV 62 as controlled/by theV l electric cable 64 and push-button control 65. The electrically controlled valves inthe unit 62,y may include bleeder means as well vas complete shut-ott devices,y by which hydraulic fluid may not `only be forced under pressure through the lines60 to the units 50,51 but may f be also locked against further movement, to lock Vthe units 50,51 in the various adjusted positions, and may be bled oli 'intro v,they sump when it is desired'to reverser the piston action, as to lower the bed frame.

In accordance with the invention, for the purpose of operating thepivoted head portion 22 of the bed frame, slides 67 are provided on the side bars 24, 25,'for engagement by the ends of driving levers 68, the latter in turn being powered by hydraulic piston-'and-cylinder units 69.1

While in FIG. 1 only one such hydraulic unit 69` one lever 68 and one slide 67 are shown, it will be understood that this organization may, if desired, be duplicated onl the near side of the bed frame 10,7'such showing however being omitted herein forthesake of clarity of illustration.

I ConsideringFIG 2, it will be seen that whenV the hydraulic 'piston and cylinder unit 69 is activated, as Vbyy providedfin the central unit 62, the head portion'22'of Byy tain uniform the movements of the fluid operated motive means. Y l. l

It should be further understood that the bed frame 10, andthe head and'knee portions 22, 27 thereof may be suitably braced and reinforced by the addition of struts, langle braces and the like, as well as cross ties, since the showing'y in the ligures is to an extent ydiagrammatic in this respect. These angle braces, struts and cross ties have been omitted for'the 'sake of claritylof illustration.

It willV now be appreciated from the foregoing that we Yhave provided a `greatly simplied, v powerful, effective andreliable motive means for enablingl a hospital-type bed to be easily and quickly adjusted as to theheight of the bed frame, the inclination'of the bed frame, and as tothe raising and lowering'of the head and knee portions of the bed frame. The motivek means isV flexible in its application to the various operating portions of the bed, requires but relativelyv little space, and is readily accessibleY for removal and servicing when this should be necessary. The central power unit 62 may be located in any VVconvenient space-,so as to not interfere with the bedding or with auxiliary equipment associated with the bed. By virtue of the hydraulic'units and lines connected thereto the operation Yof the bed is made extremely safe, and there is no likelihood offfailure of the mechanism in a manner to cause injury to personnel Yor damage to adjacent equipment.A y Y Y Variations and modifications may Vbe'made within the scoperof the claim, and portions ofthe improvement may y be used Withoutothers. v Y

Y prising a head end and la foot end, pedestal supports for said frame located one at each ofY said frame ends, each of said supports comprising a relatively narrowv and elongate 4base extending crosswise relative to the frame for a distance substantially co-extensive with the width of the frame, an extensible stanchion connected to and rising from said base and being located medially of the ends of the base, said stanchion being wider than deep with its width extending lengthwise of the base and crosswise of the frame, means connecting the stanchion to the respective ends of said frame, mounting brackets mounted on and extending from said stanchion and Huid operated motive means mounted in said brackets in spaced juxtaposed relation to said stanchion in a vertical plane coincident with a median vertical plane passing transversely through the stanchion and connected to said base and said frame whereby said motive means is accessible for repair and maintenance, and control means for operating said motive means at will to raise and lower the frame relative to the base, the stanchion extending and retracting therewith and at all times maintaining the frame in a horizontal plane.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,342,631 2/ 44 Hillenbrand 5-86 X 2,604,640 7/52 Junkin 5-86 2,687,536 8/54 Miller 5-62 2,699,772 1/55 Beem et al. 5--11 2,702,508 2/55 Peterson 103--3 2,741,092 4/56 Marshall 569 FOREIGN PATENTS 3 0,940 5 04 Switzerland.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Examiner.

G. LEO BREHM, Examiner. 

